


Happy Holidays

by MerlinFicDriveThru



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 05:24:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4907110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerlinFicDriveThru/pseuds/MerlinFicDriveThru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern au Christmas Eve party with all the Knights, Gwen, and Morgana. Merlin is late because of a snowstorm and Arthur is worrying that Merlin got in a crash. Bonus points if it is switching back and forth between different people's perspectives. Rating: t for teen?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Holidays

The party was at Elyan’s house, because his was the biggest and, well, their friend group was huge.

Morgana and Gwen brought the cider.

Leon brought cakes. Lots of cakes. The man owned a bakery. Christmas was difficult for him.

Gwaine brought booze. It was Christmas themed, and that’s all the excuse he needed.

Arthur had brought the turkey, already baked and dressed. He hadn’t cooked it himself, of course. He’d bought it and paid someone to cook it. So he said it counted as good cheer.

They’d done the dancing. They’d done the drinking. But Merlin hadn’t appeared yet.

He’d had to work. He didn’t get days off except for Christmas Eve and Christmas itself. They’d decided to do their party the weekend before, and Merlin had assured them he’d be able to make it after work.

That was before the snow had started late in the afternoon. There was snow and sleet like they hadn’t had in years.

Arthur checked his watch. Merlin was an hour late.

***

He hadn’t meant to leave late, but the snow had already started and the roads were already iced.

He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised they hadn’t been salted. The snow had hit suddenly, with a ferocity that couldn’t have been predicted.

Visibility was crap. He blared music, but it was Christmas music and well, after two weeks of no stop carols and jingle bells, he was done with it. It was only adding to his annoyance.

He batted his hands on the steering wheel, heading through the light.

There were headlights in the wrong lane.

He hit his brakes, spinning on the ice.

He heard the crash.

And that was all.

***

They hadn’t eaten yet. They were still waiting on Merlin.

He was three hours late and he hadn’t called.

Arthur checked his phone for message. He looked outside, expecting despite every  previous search, to see lights in the driveway.

“Look, I’m just going to call him again, ok?” Arthur tapped his foot and ran his hands through his hair, trying to control his breathing. Dread was building in his gut. “Just in case something’s happened.”

“He’s probably just late, Arthur,” Morgana said, for the tenth time, but this time her voice was weak.

Even Elyan was looking at the clock, pacing in front of his fireplace. Gwaine had drank the whole case of Christmas beer. No one had even nibbled.

The phone rang through.

_Hey! It’s Merlin! If it’s an emergency, call Arthur, I’m probably with him. If it’s not, text me. I literally never check my voicemail._

Arthur barely restrained himself from throwing his phone. He could feel the tears building. “He’s been in a wreck. I know he has. He’s always been rubbish at driving in bad weather.”

“He always comes out without a scratch though, remember?” Gwen tried to smile at him. The group tensed.

“Yeah, that one time in the rain, he tried to fix the other guys car, remember?” Leon chuckled. “The guy was so chuffed he didn’t even ask for insurance.”

Arthur couldn’t laugh. Something was wrong.

***

Lights bounced off the snow. Everything was white, except for the twisted car.

The officer shined a light through the door of the driver’s side.

Someone was in there. Buzzing sounded from the console. A cell phone was going off, singing  _I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus_. It was clearly recorded by a friend or boyfriend. They’d have to get the driver out first.

The officer checked for a pulse.

He sighed, pulling his hand away and waving someone over. The phone rang again and his heart sank.

They tore the door off, pulled the man out.

He was black hair and white skin and red everywhere. Greens and reds and blues bounced off of him, a clash of Christmas and horror that the officer would remember for a long time.

The other driver was drunk, heading home from a Christmas party early.

The phone rang again. The officer fished it out from the vehicle.

“Arthur <3” flashed across the screen.

The officer flicked the phone open, pressed it to his ear.

***

Arthur sighed with relief when the phone stopped ringing.

Then he frowned. There was sirens in the background.

“Merlin? Is everything alright?”

“Sir, I’m with the police department. I think it’s best if you come to the station.”


End file.
